Next Generation Nissan GT-R Will Be a Front-Engined Hybrid

Power is power after all. Although it’s still a little way off, we can now confirm a few significant details regarding the next generation Nissan GT-R. Due to arrive in 2018, the R36 GT-R will keep the familiar front-engine setup.

According to Nissan Chief Creative Officer, Shiro Nakamura, who recently spoke with Top Gear, the GT-R will always be a front-engined 2+2-seater coupe. It’ll never go mid-engined. However, Nakamura also confirmed what we’ve long suspected: the R36 will be a hybrid. Should we be all that surprised?

After all, three of the fastest cars on the planet today incorporate hybrid technology to varying degrees: the Porsche 918 Spyder, McLaren P1 and Ferrari LaFerrari. So why isn’t Nissan in a rush to get the R36 GT-R to production? For starters, development is still ongoing. What’s more, the current GT-R is still selling well enough. The R35 receives updates every year and this will remain the case for now. Nakamura also admitted that some of the R36’s front and rear-end styling will be influenced by the recent Vision Gran Turismo virtual concept car. The two won’t look identical but that concept is so far the best indication of what Nissan has in mind for the car's styling.